U.S. Men's Update: Winter Training

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 14, 2010) – The winter training block for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team began on Jan. 11 at the American Training Centers in Anaheim, Calif. The following players were in the gym, with more players expected as the Puerto Rican league finishes its season:

U.S. Men’s middle blocker and Olympic gold medalist Tom Hoff (Park Ridge, Ill.) has joined the Guaynabo Mets for their playoff run in the Puerto Rican men’s league.

The move proved to be a good one for the Mets as Guaynabo has won its first two playoff matches. Guaynabo defeated Changos de Naranjito in its first playoff game on Jan. 10, 3-2 (25-19, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 12-15). Hoff scored 10 points on nine kills and one block. His U.S. teammate Eric Vance (Camarillo, Calif.) scored 12 points on 11 kills and one block. For Naranjito, C.J. Macias (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) scored 17 points on 16 kills and one block. Andy Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.) scored seven points on six kills and one ace.

On Jan. 11, Guaynabo beat Nuevos Gigantes de Carolina, 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-10). Vance scored 20 points on 20 kills while Hoff had five points on one kill and four blocks.

U.S. players squared off on Jan. 10 as Corozal topped Ponce, 3-1 (18-25, 25-14, 25-17, 28-26). Nielsen had 12 points for Corozal on nine kills, one block and two aces. McKinney scored nine points on eight kills and one block. Patterson totaled two points on one kill and one ace. Ching led Ponce with 18 points on 13 kills, three blocks and two aces. Thomas added five points on five kills.

On Jan. 11, Ponce came back to sweep Lares, 25-20, 25-20, 25-16. Ching led Ponce with 14 points on 10 kills and four blocks. Thomas had 13 points on 10 kills, one block and two aces.

There are two more quarterfinals on Thursday and Friday. The semifinals will begin Jan. 18.

Turkey

The Turkish league resumed on Jan. 10 and Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediye, the Turkish league team of Ryan Millar (Palmdale, Calif.) and Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.), maintained its league lead with a 3-1 (25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 25-15) victory over Bozkurt Belediye, which includes U.S. player Ryan Burrow (Racine, Wis.). Millar scored 11 points on three kills and eight blocks. Touzinsky added 10 points on nine kills and one ace. Burrow scored 14 points on 11 kills and three aces.

Fenerbahce, which sits second in the league, continued its winning ways with a 3-2 (20-25, 25-16, 24-26, 25-23, 15-13) victory over Galatasaray. U.S. Men’s player Gabe Gardner (San Clemente, Calif.) scored 11 points for Fenerbahce on 10 kills and one block.

Halkbank, which is in fifth place in the league, was also victorious, defeating Ozel Diltas Egitim K., 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-19). Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.) substituted in all four sets for Halkbank and scored three points on three kills.

Russia

Russian Super League leader Zenit Kazan, featuring U.S. players Lloy Ball (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii), remained in first place on Jan. 10 after defeating Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, the team of Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) and David Lee (Alpine, Calif.).

Kazan swept Novosibirsk, 25-18, 25-20, 27-25. Stanley led all scorers with 21 points on 14 kills, one block and six aces. Ball set all three sets and scored two points on two aces. Priddy scored 11 points for Novosibirsk on 10 kills and one block. Lee had four points on four blocks.

Fakel Novy Urengoi, the Russian team of Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.), beat Tyumen Tyumen, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-20, 25-15) on Jan. 9. Rooney started the first three sets and scored seven points on seven kills for Fakel. Hansen started the first three sets at setter and scored one point on one ace.

Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio) and his team Marmi Lanza Verona defeated Rpa-Luigibacchi.It Perugia on Jan. 10, 25-22, 26-24, 25-21, in Italy’s Serie A league. Holt started all three sets and scored six points on five kills and one ace.

Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) and his team Prisma Taranto defeated Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16). Suxho started at setter for all four sets and scored seven points on three kills, two blocks and two aces.

Poland

Delecta Bydgoszcz, the Polish league team of U.S. Men’s libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) fell to Zaksa Kędzierzyn Koźle on Jan. 10, 13-25, 17-25, 19-25. Lambourne started all three sets.

France

Poitiers, the French league team of Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.), defeated Rennes, 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-11) on Jan. 9. Lotman started the first three sets and scored 10 points, including eight kills. Poitiers is in second place in the league.

Poitiers will advance to the next round of the CEV Challenge Cup after winning a second victory over Slovenia’s Salonit Anhovo Kanal on Jan. 13. Poitiers won 25-14, 25-13, 25-21.

Middle European Zone

Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and his Austrian team Hypo Tirol Innsbruck defeated Hungary’s Diamant Kaposvar on Jan. 9, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21. Holmes started all three sets and scored three points on two kills and one block.

CEV Indesit Champions League

The Russian team Kazan is the only one still undefeated in the CEV Indesit Champions League. On Jan. 13, Kazan improved its record to 5-0 with a sweep of Spain’s Unicaja Almeria, which includes U.S. player Matt Denmark (Edmond, Okla.), 25-15, 25-20, 29-27.

Stanley started the first two sets and substituted on the third for Kazan. He scored seven points on five kills, one block and one ace. Ball started the first two sets at setter for Kazan and scored two points on one kill and one block. For Almeria, Denmark started all three sets and scored six points on five kills and one block.

Hypo Tirol Innsbruck is in second place in its pool with a 3-2 record. It outlasted Belgium’s Noliko Maaseik, 3-2 (15-25, 25-19, 12-25, 25-22, 15-12) on Jan. 13. Holmes started all five sets for Innsbruck and scored 10 points on five kills and five blocks.

Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediye is in third place in its pool with a 2-3 record. It swept Slovenia’s ACH Volley Bled on Jan. 13, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21. Millar and Touzinsky each started all three sets for Istanbul and each scored five points on five kills.

Each team has one final pool play match on Jan. 20. Many Champions League matches can be viewed at http://www.laola1.tv/.